


my first love

by SkyRose



Series: Game of Requirement 2019 [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Awkwardness, F/F, Fashion & Couture, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Party, Potions, Protectiveness, Teen Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 00:23:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19800862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyRose/pseuds/SkyRose
Summary: She read the label,Liquid Courage.She gave Fred an unimpressed glare. “Are you trying to get me drunk an hour before noon?”“It’s not alcohol,” Fred assured. “It’s a proper potion. One swig of this had you’ll be able to confess your undying love to acertain Ravenclaw seeker.”Or: sometimes a prankster gives sound advice.





	my first love

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #76 Character A blurts out "I love you" to Character B either **1) in front of a lot of people** ~~-OR- 2) casually when they are alone.~~
> 
> I also chose #30 & #67 from The List:  
> -Liquid Courage Confessions  
> -90s Couture
> 
> This is a random femslash rarepair so... I expect no one to read this. If you are, thanks!!!! And let's be friends!!!!

Katie Bell’s time at Hogwarts was coming to an end. It was a rough final year, between N.E.W.T.s and, well, a near-lethal curse. The days were dwindling and Katie was reflecting on her seven years.

She probably spent too much time on her broom with Angelina and Alicia when she should have been studying. She was proud to help end Gryffindors losing streak. She was unsure what the future held, but she felt confident everything would turn out alright in the end. It had too.

A Hufflepuff boy invited all of seventh-year to an end-of-the-year-and-maybe-the-world party in the Room of Requirement. Katie was unsure if she wanted to go, but Leanne made her promise she would. She immediately did when Leanne stated, “Cho will be there.”

Katie didn’t think she had a type. Leanne was convinced she  _ did _ and it was fellow Quidditch player ladies. And, the thing is… there  _ was  _ a pattern.

She and Alicia had a brief fling in her fifth and Alicia’s sixth year. It was casual, they went to the Yule Ball together, then decided during the summer they made better mates. 

The previous year, Katie dated Heidi Macavoy, a Hufflepuff chaser one year her senior. It lasted a few months, but it fizzled out fairly quickly. Heidi had her N.E.W.T.s to focus on, so they broke it off in April.

And now… Katie was crushing on Cho Chang. Okay, that was framing it like a recent development. Katie  _ has always _ had a crush on Cho Chang. From first year and beyond, unfortunately. 

So, yes, Katie has liked many of her female broomstick-flying peers. At least Cho wasn’t another Chaser. That would be somehow more embarrassing.

Because her crush was embarrassing! It had been going on and off for seven years! Every time Katie thought she was over it, Cho would flash her a smile in the Great Hall or speed past her during a match or help her when she was miserably failing in Potions class. 

Katie had made many near-confessions to Cho. They weren’t super close friends, but they were friends. They saw each other often enough that come close to spilling her feelings nearly once a year. Except for this year.

In August, when Katie had been purchasing needed supplies for the upcoming year, she had stopped into Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. Fred and George were thrilled to see her, even offering a generous one-sickle discount on her purchase. She took a long look around the store, chatting with twins as she did, but didn’t find anything of interest. George wandered off to attend to another customer. Fred then slid a small vial into Katie’s hand.

She read the label,  _ Liquid Courage. _ She gave Fred an unimpressed glare. “Are you trying to get me drunk an hour before noon?”

“It’s  _ not _ alcohol,” Fred assured. “It’s a proper potion. One swig of this had you’ll be able to confess your undying love to  _ a certain Ravenclaw seeker.” _

Katie knew taking romance advice from a professional prankster was the opposite of a good idea.

She bought the potion anyway.

She stowed it in her trunk and didn’t think of it all year. Until its very end came around. 

She’d been looking for a light shirt, one she hadn’t worn since the beginning of the school year before the seemingly permanent autumn and winter chill overtook Hogwarts. Her fingers grazed glass, puzzling her. She pulled out the vial and  _ oh.  _ Right. Fred Weasley’s idiot elixir.

The seventh-year get together was that night. It would be one of the last times Katie would have a chance to speak with Cho while at Hogwarts. Who knew when they’d see each other after that.

She had turned to one of her dormmates, Maxine, wondering aloud to her, “Do you think this will kill me?”

Maxine snatched the vial, quickly reading over it, before replying, “No. But embarrassment might.”

Katie decided against swallowing the potion, opting to put it in her back pocket in case she had a change of heart.

And so, that evening, she walked into the Room of Requirement with Leanne at her side. Many of her peers had already arrived, scattered amongst chairs and sofas of varying size and colour. Cho was not among them yet.

“Ladies!” Cormac McLaggen greeted them as they entered. The heat in his breath and staggering steps suggested he had already taken part in some swigs of Firewhisky. 

“Back off, McLaggen,” Katie muttered, wrapping a protective arm around Leanne’s shoulders.

“Pfft, whatever, Bell,” Cormac grumbled before wandering off to bother someone else. Hopefully someone equally annoying.

Katie’s life would be significantly improved if she never saw Cormac McLaggen after Hogwarts. He was a lousy Keeper and horrid teammate.

Leanne made polite conversation with one of the few Slytherins to show up, a half-blood girl not to keen on Malfoy and his gang, and Katie listened on while sipping pineapple and boomberry punch.

Five or so minutes passed and Cho Chang finally made her appearance. She was wearing a blue-green tartan skirt and a black graphic tee for a band that was presumably Muggle, as Katie didn’t recognize it. It wasn’t the most amazing outfit Katie had ever seen Cho wear, but she was still frozen in place as she stared. Cho could make even the simplest of outfits stunning.

Cho began mingling with her fellow Ravenclaws. Katie’s mind tried to form a plan of action, what to say, how to say it, and now was the time to leave it all out there. It had been seven years, after all! And who knew when she’d get a chance again. 

The vial in her pocket seemed more enticing as the seconds passed.

The night went on, Katie bounced between the Gryffindors and wherever Leanne was, avoiding Cho as she was still unsure of what she wanted to do. 

And the vial stayed in her pocket.

“My Uncle Tiberius’ manor had an amazing pool. It’s enchanted to be the perfect temperature for whoever dives in, no matter what they are or aren’t wearing. You’re all invited! Especially you, Chang. Wanna beat the heat with me this summer?”

Katie jaw clenched at the sound of Cormac’s voice saying Cho’s name. Cormac was sat next Cho, completely invading her personal space. Cho was too polite to say anything but was visibly uncomfortable. And now he was flirting with her.

_ Merlin give me strength,  _ Katie internally stated as she took a deep breath.

“I’m not much of a swimmer,” Cho said, her eyes focused on her lap.

“That’s fine,” Cormac replied with an arrogant smirk. “There’s…  _ plenty  _ of spare bedrooms for  _ other activities.” _

“Fuck him,” Katie breathed. 

“Whoa there,” Leanne silently warned next to him.

Katie didn’t care anymore. She swiped the vial from her pocket, throwing aside the rubber stopper, and swallowed all of its liquid contents. As the potion made its way to her stomach, it sent little shocks of energy through Katie. Instinctively, Katie clenched her fists and squared her shoulders. She stomped over to Cormac and Cho, shouting, “Hey! McLaggen!”

Cormac looked up at Katie, his mouth a bored, straight line. “What?”

His hand was on the small of Cho’s back. Katie lifted her foot, resting it on the edge of the sofa. “Move your hand away from Cho and leave her alone,” she demanded, leaning into his face.

“Or what?” Cormac challenged.

“This,” Katie pointed down to her combat boot resting next to him. “Will go up your stupid arse.” 

Cormac glared, but something in Katie’s eyes, probably slight insanity, made him move his hand and walk to the other side of the room. Katie inwardly cheered at the sight, only slightly disappointed she didn’t get to kick his arse.

“Thanks,” Cho said, snapping Katie out of her victorious thoughts. She flashed a bright smile. Katie’s heart leapt at the sight of it. 

“I love you!” she suddenly blurted out, her voice loud and serious. Every single person in the room could hear it. Katie and Cho froze, eyes locked onto each other’s. 

_ Liquid courage… More like Liquid lunacy!  _ Katie would be sending a strongly worded letter to Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes.

Katie’s mouth finally found the ability to move again. She sputtered, “I’m sorry, uh, I don’t—”

“I like your trousers,” Cho interrupted.

Katie blinked.  _ “What?” _

Cho gestured to Katie’s ripped, denim trousers. Katie looked up and down, at her legs and Cho repeatedly. 

“Your flannel, too,” Cho complimented, reaching out to touch the black and red shirt tied around Katie’s waste. Her hand moved from the flannel to—

Oh,  _ Cho’s touching my arse. _

Well, she had shoved her hand into Katie’s pocket, to be perfectly precise. Cho pulled out the empty vial before Katie’s mind could process what exactly was going on.

“Liquid courage,” Cho read aloud. “Hmm. Interesting.” She was grinning, bright and beautiful.

“I’ve… had a crush on you for  _ years, _ actually,” Katie admitted. “I guess I needed a little magical help.”

Cho hummed, nodding slowly, still clutching the vial. “I didn’t know it went back that far.”

Katie rose an eyebrow. “You knew I liked you?”

Cho laughed. “Of course! I’m a Ravenclaw, Katie. I have a certain level of wit.”

“You never said anything…”

Cho blushed then, looking around the room at the many pairs of eyes staring at them. She looked at the floor as she replied, “You should know how hard it is to admit when you love someone.”

In an unexpected twist of the night, Katie Bell  _ would not _ be sending an angry letter to the Weasley twins. 

She’d been sending a grateful one.

Because for the rest of the evening, it was Katie’s hand on Cho’s back. And Cormac McLaggen glowered in the corner the whole time.

It turned out that Cho had been keeping an eye on Katie the whole night. Katie wasn’t alone in her pining to her pleasant surprise. Cho had caught her chugging the potion, so that’s how she knew to look in Katie’s pocket to see what had caused her odd behavior.

“I was worried it was Anti-Veritaserum and that you actually hated me,” Cho admitted later in the night.

“How could anyone hate you, Cho?” Katie inquired incredulously. “You’re the most adorable person in our class.”

Cho blushed again at that and Katie felt so pleasantly warm she thought she’d never feel cold again.

During Katie’s final days at Hogwarts, she rarely left Cho Chang’s side. They sat in the Great Hall together as well as the ride to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters together. Katie knew they’d be together for all of summer.

And beyond, if everything went well. Katie knew it would.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments appreciated!


End file.
